ENERGY STAR Labeled Building Profile

The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals resides in the JM Wisdom US Court of Appeals building at 600 Camp Street in New Orleans. Recently the building has been honored with the ENERGY STAR Label for Buildings for its high degree of energy efficiency, ranking in the top 10 percent of commercial and governmental buildings in the nation.

The 252,096 square-foot building, constructed in 1980, achieved a score of 92, which means it is more energy efficient than 92 percent of all commercial and governmental buildings in the country. "We keep up with the technology," says Alex Daverede, a senior property manager for the General Services Administration, which administers the Courthouse. "As more sophisticated equipment becomes available, we incorporate it, if it makes economic sense." Daverede estimates that energy efficient technology has lowered utility costs at the Courthouse by 25 to 30 percent.

Among the energy efficiency retrofits and measures used in the building are highly efficient T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts, variable frequency drives on the air handling units, variable air volume distribution systems, highly efficient chillers, and an Energy Management System (EMS).

Besides the goal of lowering energy costs, Daverede says a large motivation is keeping the employees in the building happy. Energy-efficient technology often makes a building more comfortable to work in, as well as keeping costs down. "If the customer is happy, I'm happy," he says, "because then there are no complaints." This attitude has not only made the JM Wisdom US Court of Appeals a comfortable place to work, it has also led to the building being recognized for its ENERGY STAR caliber achievement.

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Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by General Services Administration Region 7 or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.